Dopo cena, Marta sparecchia la tavola e sciacqua i bicchieri nel lavello.

After dinner, Marta clears the table and rinses the glasses in the sink.

Breakdown of Dopo cena, Marta sparecchia la tavola e sciacqua i bicchieri nel lavello.

• il bicchiere: the glass
• in: in
• e: and
• dopo: after

Questions & Answers about Dopo cena, Marta sparecchia la tavola e sciacqua i bicchieri nel lavello.

Why does dopo cena not have an article, like dopo la cena?

In Italian, dopo cena is a very common fixed expression meaning after dinner in a general sense, just like after lunch or after school in English.

Using dopo la cena is possible, but it usually sounds more specific, as if you mean after the dinner or a particular meal/event.

So:

• dopo cena = after dinner, in general
• dopo la cena = after the dinner, more specific

What does sparecchia mean exactly?

Sparecchia comes from the verb sparecchiare, which means to clear the table.

It is the opposite of apparecchiare, which means to set the table.

So:

• apparecchiare la tavola = to set the table
• sparecchiare la tavola = to clear the table

In this sentence, Marta finishes eating and then removes the dishes, glasses, etc. from the table.

Why is it sparecchia la tavola and not just sparecchia?

Italian often includes the direct object where English might leave it understood.

• sparecchiare la tavola = to clear the table

You may sometimes hear just sparecchiare if the context is obvious, but sparecchiare la tavola is a very normal full expression.

Here, la tavola is the thing being cleared.